Ultrapure Water for HPLC Analysis

The quality of a solvent is often decisive for the reliability of an HPLC analytical run, as the presence of trace contaminants during gradient elution can result in “ghost or phantom peaks.” Deionized or distilled water still contains considerable quantities of organic substances, which can cause ghost peaks. Water of the quality required for HPLC can be either purchased from various manufacturers or produced on site by employing a water purification system. This application note evaluates such a system as an alternative to commercially sold ultrapure water for the preparation of high-purity eluents for HPLC analysis.